Hospital expands testing

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Patients and customers of Weston County Health Services now have access to health and wellness testing through
the laboratory at the hospital every Wednesday as part of the Wellness Wednesdays. The program was previously offered only on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month.
According to Piper Allard, director of patient services at the hospital, the expanded program began on Jan. 8 and will be offered every Wednesday from 6:30 a.m. until 8:30 a.m. 
“We just thought it would be helpful for people to have the service available every Wednesday instead of remembering what days,” Allard said. 
The expansion of the service has so far been successful, she said. 
“So far we are seeing the need for the additional days. We’ve seen as little as 12 patients on a Wednesday morning to as many as 30 patients, depending on the Wednesday,” Allard said. “We were seeing more before we added the additional two days.” 
Jim Dillehay, the laboratory manager for the facility, said that it is hard to say if the two extra Wednesdays a month has brought an influx of patients. But, he said, he has seen patients every Wednesday. 
“It seems to be going OK so far, but we only started earlier this month,” Dillehay said. 
According to a Wellness Wednesdays pamphlet distributed by Weston County Health Services, the program aims to provide a simple way for people to gather their health data. Through the program, specific laboratory tests are offered at a reduced rate to customers, enabling everyone to have access to the testing and results they need to improve their health. 
“You and your doctor can learn a great deal about your health status from a quick and relatively painless sample of your blood. The laboratory tests available from the wellness program are designed to help you understand and manage your state of health,” the pamphlet says. 
Dillehay explained that these tests are considered consumer-driven blood tests and are at the discretion of
the patient. 
“This program is designed for the patient to get what tests they want done, and they pay for them directly. The results then go directly to them, and it is up to them to get with their physician to go over those results,” Dillehay said. “We are just providing the test, nothing more.”  
After the tests are completed, patients receive their results by mail within two weeks. The facility requests that all patients review their results carefully and that they discuss any abnormal results with their physician. 
“Weston County Health Services will not directly send your wellness program results to your health care provider,” Dillehay said.
Additional copies of the results can be provided for patients to take to their physicians, he said. 
The pamphlet further explains that in order to keep costs low, insurance billing, including Medicare, is not offered through the Wellness Wednesday program. However, an order sheet with CPT codes (a numeric medical code) will be provided to patient at the time of their blood draw so they can sent the bill to their insurance company if they choose. 
Dillehay said that some of the tests offered during the Wellness Wednesday program are discounted from everyday prices. The discounts are possible because the lab does not have to file insurance papers and incur other billing expenses.